Wipro to invest £16 million to set up innovation centre in London

Wipro Ltd said on Tuesday it will invest £16 million (about $22 million) over the next four years to set up a 20,000 sq. ft. innovation centre Holborn, London. The centre will serve as Wipro’s flagship centre in the UK and offer technology expertise to companies globally.

“It will be integral to providing advanced digital, cyber security, and cloud expertise to both established and upcoming enterprises, taking the lead on digital transformation in one of Europe’s biggest technology markets,” Wipro said in a statement.

This year marks Wipro’s 75th global anniversary, and 25 years in the UK, where it employs over 4,000 people. The Bengaluru-based IT services provider has hired over 500 new employees in the UK in the past 12 months and, with the announcement of the innovation centre, expects its talent base to increase further over the coming years.

The opening of the centre follows the recent announcement of Wipro’s acquisition of UK-based Capco for $1.45 billion. This acquisition will add 1,300 employees in the UK and will make Wipro one of the largest end-to-end IT service providers to the banking and financial services industry.

“The new innovation centre in London enhances our already powerful presence in the region across ten offices and over 4,000 employees and will act as an important engine in our drive to boost digital transformation in Europe,” said Thierry Delaporte, chief executive officer and managing director, Wipro.

The innovation centre will help Wipro develop solutions for the future including “galvanizing the adoption of new skills and technologies by companies to innovate and re-imagine their products and services,” said Pierre Bruno, CEO - Europe, Wipro.

Wipro has established a strong presence in the UK in recent years with ten offices across the region, including a Cloud studio in London and a Cyber Defense Centre in Reading, Southern England.